Bringing the music of the Caribbean to the world
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Eddie Bullen - Andrew Stewart - Neil Brathwaite - Joaquin Hidalgo Nunez - Gareth Burgess
Andrew Stewart
Andrew’s musical career began at the tender age of 3 when he learned to play drums in church where he grew up. Inspired by his father (musician), Andrew fell in love with the inspirational soulful gospel and rhythm and blues music of the day. At 6 years old, with the guidance of his father, Andrew learned to play guitar and bass. By the time he was 8 he was copying bass lines and guitar licks he heard in church, on television, radio and from records. Influenced by great bass players such as Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, and Victor Wooten, Andrew decided to attend the internationally acclaimed jazz program at Humber College in 2000. There he studied with bassist Lenny Boyd and Even Tarleton. After a few semesters, with the encouragement of his teachers and his peers, he thought it was time to leave school and pursue a career in music full time. Since then Andrew has played in the studio and on stage with Salome Bey, Caribbean Jazz Collective, Liberty Silver, Eddie Bullen, Michael Stuart, Robert Botos, Robert “Robbie” Greenidge, Kalabash, Pieces of a Dream, The Liamuiga Project and many others. He has also appeared on the television series “Soulfood” with Musiq Soulchild.
Andrew Stewart
(Bassist, Composer, Arranger, Producer, and Luthier)
Born in Toronto to Jamaican immigrants, Andrew Stewart has become an integral part of Canada’s emerging new school jazz and world music scenes. Andrew was introduced to soulful gospel music and the melodic, exciting rhythms of the Caribbean through his father/Haltons’ guitarist Winston Stewart. Taking cues from the likes of Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten, Andrew views the bass guitar as a solo instrument. This gifted player’s versatility has opened up opportunities to record and perform with a wide variety of musical artists. Andrew has worked with, among others, Salome Bey, Melba Moore, Chaka Khan, Liberty Silver, Johnny Reid, David Francey, Blackburn, Shakura S’aida, David Rudder, Natalie MacMaster, Donnell Leahy, Levon Ichkhanian, Pee Wee Ellis, Clive Zanda, Eddie Bullen, Bruce Skerritt, and reggae music pioneer Ernest Ranglin. Andrew’s is a sound that reimagines the Caribbean Jazz tradition through a North American urban sensibility. This sound is generated through the beautiful handmade custom bass guitars that Andrew himself crafts (Stew Art Musical Instruments). In the mid-1990’s while still a high school student, Andrew discovered his passion for wood woodworking. It was during those formidable teenage years where Andrew taught himself to make bass guitars with limited tools and resources. By the early 2000s, Andrew established his brand “Stew Art Musical Instruments” and quickly became recognized for his jaw-dropping bass designs as well as his impressive music chops. All Stew Art basses are handmade from the highest quality wood available. An extensive choice of beautiful exotic burls, quilted and spalted woods are also available on request..
Joaquin Nunez
Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo was born and raised in Cuba. His early inspiration was his musically gifted father Porfirio Nunez, a former singer/guitarist with one of the oldest Cuban orchestras "Brisas de Nipe".
As a professional artist Joaquin has had a successful music career in Cuba. Performing in numerous music events and festivals, he shared the stage with some of Cuba's most elite musicians like Emiliano Salvador, Juan Pablo Torres and Joel Rodriguez Milor.
Eventually settling in Toronto in 1999, Joaquin quickly became immersed in the local music scene performing as a drummer and percussionist with top Canadian- based artists (Jane Bunnett, Bill King, Njacko Backo, Caribbean Jazz Collective, Eddie Bullen, Hilario Duran, Luis Mario Ochoa), performing in many of the festivals (Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Beaches Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Halifax Jazz Festival) across the country as well as internationally.
Joaquin recently finished a stint in the Toronto production of "Dirty Dancing" at the Royal Alex. He is also the leader and musical director of the Afro-Cuban percussion ensemble "Rumba Iyabo" and the traditional Cuban music group "Cubanos". Joaquin also teaches percussion and hand drum techniques in the "Soul Drums" music program.
Greth Burguss
Garth has been playing the Steel Pan for over 20 years and is currently enrolled in the Music Faculty at York University, Toronto in the Jazz Program. Since participating in the relentless jazz ensemble playing in the York program over the last several years, he has developed into one of the finest jazz soloists in Canada, with a refined technique reminiscent of Northern Illinois university’s Liam Teague. He has played in three of Toronto’s top Steelband Orchestras: Silhouettes, Panatics, Earl La Pierre’s famed Afropan, and Caribbean Jazz Collective. This has given him the opportunity to work with some of the best arrangers in Canada. Gareth teaches Steelband classes at two high schools in the Greater Toronto Area. His father Lindy Burgess, who leads the Toronto chapter of the La Petite Musicale Choir, also teaches a Steelband ensemble class at the York U. Faculty of Music. Gareth plays drums with that student band at York and coaches the ensemble students as a Teaching Assistant in the Faculty
Neil Brathwaite
Neil Brathwaite was raised in Montreal, Quebec, with West Indian roots in Barbados. Neil was introduced to classical music and studied piano with Daisy Sweeney, the sister of Oscar Peterson’s sister, at the age of 7. He was initiated to Jazz by his dad and began to play Alto sax in high school. Studied Sciences at the Université de Montpelier / France and later studied saxophone in the Jazz program at Humber College with Pat Labarera.
Neil has worked with George Clinton, Salome Bey, Caribbean Jazz Collective, The Dream Warriors, Molly Johnson, Tabby Johnson, Panic, The "A" team, S.O.S band, The Philosopher Kings, Eddie Bullen, Danileo Perez, Keisha Wint, Paul E Lopez, Mike Tull, Curtis Smith, Dave Campbell, Jason Palma, K.C, K.J, Ahdri Zhina Mandiela, Winton Marsalis, Bass is Base, Ivana Santilli, Jacksoul, McCauley Boys, Slim Gillard, Headstones, Spear Head, Galliano, The Side Men, Jully Black, Socrates, Choclair, Nana McClean, The Mighty Duke, Lillian Allen, Marcia Miller, Clifton Joseph, Little "X", Black Cat, 2 Rude, Kalabash, Esthero, Abacus, Alex Greggs, Denis Shaw, Mishka, Alana Bridgewater, Divine Earth Essence, Wade O Brown, Glen Lewis, Kuya, KOs,Devon, Deborah Cox, B-Funn, Michie Mee, John Ellison, Gerald Levert, Lynn Crosbie, Jazzmin, Doc, Res, Kellis, Leroy Sibbles and many more. Neil also has wide experience providing musical direction for television shows and live events.
Eddie Bullen
Since his move to Toronto in 1980 from Grenada, Eddie has worked with Caribbean, Canadian and American artists like Melba Moore, Anslem Douglas, Byron Lee, Maestro, David Rudder, Liberty Silver and Dee Dee Bridgewater. He is also a composer and arranger for TV, Radio and Films. His work has been heard on City TV, YTV, Love & Hip Hop (American Television Series) and Wine TV Australia.
To date Eddie Bullen has produced over 200 albums and is currently working on several new ventures through his record company Thunder Dome Sounds and publishing company QDB music. Eddie is always on the lookout for cutting edge new innovative artists.
Through his production company Thunder Dome Sounds, Eddie is fulfilling his passion for nurturing youth talent through a high school co-op program he launched in 1986. Challenges like this keep Eddie Bullen growing artistically and personally.
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